Nowhere in the terms of sale does it guarantee access to your old digital content should a new version come out. It does though clearly state that you acknowledge that the content you buy is ONLY accessible through D&D Beyond and is subject to the whims of their developers. So, any hope that they might liberate purchased content for the users that bought it, should D&D Beyond shutter it's doors is negated by their terms of sale.
I would very much like a clear policy that says "When WoTC releases a new edition of D&D, and the content you purchased will no longer be available for sale to the general public, you will be given the option to download the content in a non DRM format, such as an mht or ePub file or be given a coupon code to get a free download of said content from dndclassics.com"
Indeed, a clear policy about the availability of current products in relation to the announcement of a new edition will be announced when the agreement between WotC and Curse will be settled regarding that new edition.
So, basically, there won't be a policy put in place until a new version comes out and then you'll deal with it?
No, that is not what I said.
I said when the agreement between WotC and Curse will be stipulated about the next edition, then we will know what happens to the availability, through DDB, of 5e products.
It is my opinion that there is no reason to think that we will not have access to 5e products when the eventual 6e will comes out.
There's a much simpler way of looking at it, which is, as long as D&D Beyond continues to exist, it will continue to provide you with any content that you have purchased.
If/when a new edition is released, I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as clear cut as previous editions, because the current game designers have said they want to ensure that any new edition is backwards compatible, so that any current content purchased will still be usable in a newer edition.
There's a much simpler way of looking at it, which is, as long as D&D Beyond continues to exist, it will continue to provide you with any content that you have purchased.
If/when a new edition is released, I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as clear cut as previous editions, because the current game designers have said they want to ensure that any new edition is backwards compatible, so that any current content purchased will still be usable in a newer edition.
I'd like to know that I will still have access to my content if D&D Beyond doesn't exist at some point in the future.
There's a long discussion on that somewhere on these forums, but I can't find it currently - the short version of it is:
Successful companies don't plan for what happens when they fail. It's largely a waste of effort and may well be irrelevant in years to come. If such planning was completed now and you were told, "We intend to let you have a PDF of each compendium if we fail," that plan could completely change in 5 years time. That statement of intent would be no more use to you than the current situation, where you're being told that no statement is being made, because it would be pointless to do so.
The exception to this is when such companies are paid specifically to do such planning (ref. escrow services).
If Wizards of the Coast and D&D Beyond are both in the process of going out of business, they may well do something to create offline, downloadable content for existing customers. That would be totally up to them at the time though.
D&D Beyond is a successful product and the ultimate parent company is Amazon, so what you're asking is more a plan for what happens if Amazon go bust, which is pretty unlikely within the medium term.
Will D&D Beyond exist 100 years from now? I have no idea. Personally, I doubt that any current website or internet service will still exist in a recognisable form, as technology will have moved on so much.
This thread is over two and a half years old and is far from the last time this topic was discussed. I have to ask, why?
I think the answer is 4e. Most of the 4e stuff was taken offline almost instantly after the new edition was released and 4e was advertised as "the final version of D&D" with the subtext that any future versions of the game would be fully compatible... aka, quite literarily the exact same message we have about 5e. The circumstances are different today, but I can understand why people might have the question/concern.
The 4th edition content wasn't taken offline instantly; the books are available as PDFs over on the DMs Guild (seriously, the DMG 1 and 2 are a gold mine of resources) and D&D Insider, the digital tool kit with full content access via subscription, was only taken down last January. The reason they had to take it down was that microsoft stopped supporting Silverlight, the platform DDI was built on
They could decided that the current D&D, over the past several years, has been saturated, and the new CEO Perkins Miller and Chief Revenue Officer Kenneth Shapiro wants to make an impression with their bosses, will roll out a new version of D&D (e6?) to pump new volume of sales as demanded by the board of directors...Beth Birnbaum just joined Fandom Inc (that owns D&D Beyond, through purchasing Curse LLC back in 2018) also, in 2020, and if you read Fandom description of her, "Beth adds an incredible track record in product development, operations and strategy...to our board. Her belief in and vision for Fandom will help accelerate our growth.”
So ...
Fandom can't create a 6e. If you had a stake in Dungeons and Dragons, you should fathom why.
Fandom does many many other products besides D&D Beyond, and experience in product development is one of many desired traits on a corporate board of directors. If you had a stake in Fandom's operations, you'd know that.
I don't think the new Content Director who's arrived in DDB was transferred over from another branch of Frandom (Screen Junkies) was assigned to be the face of "closing down DDB." Sounds like his goal is to put DDB in its best spotlight.
Hasbro, and if your pretending to provide insight into the game biz you should really know why they matter, is very very happy with D&Ds performance, a factor in Wizards being elevated to higher platform within Hasbro's corporate structure. I doubt that will lead to any of its digital licensees getting severed.
I think I feel where you're coming from, but it's just not a reflection of reality. I think rather than posting this, I guess, speculation, if you were truly anxious, you could educate yourself as to how business, and publishing, and entertainment product industries actually work rather than string together a couple of not really well interpreted factoids and fear monger veiled as analysis.
My bottom line, it's a great time to be playing D&D and I like the support DDB's tools provide my gameplay.
Folks think some big release will come in 2024 for the golden anniversary of the D&D brand. Some think that's a 6e, some think it will be consolidation of some of the drift people see between the original 5e core books and the drifts being recognized in Tasha's and furthered through the Gothlines in UA to be finalized in the Ravensloft book into a more coherent ruleset that explains how the systems some see as conflicting can actually be used harmoniously.
I think I feel where you're coming from, but it's just not a reflection of reality. I think rather than posting this, I guess, speculation, if you were truly anxious, you could educate yourself as to how business, and publishing, and entertainment product industries actually work rather than string together a couple of not really well interpreted factoids and fear monger veiled as analysis.
Basically this.
People do not have to know how all the details work, but having a basic understanding of how business works is better than posting wild speculation. If people stopped consuming dumb conspiracy theories and use that time to actually educate themselves instead, the whole world would be a better place. Hasbro seems pretty happy with the performance of D&D according to their latest financial reports, so it would be pretty stupid for Hasbro and Wizards to suddenly pull 6E out their ass, risking their bottom line instead of continuing to milk 5E. As far as I know, the main way they want to expand D&D is to expand its multimedia experience, such as through its current development of Baldur's Gate and a new D&D movie they are working on. There is no mention of 6E anywhere. Nada. Zilch.
As for the following quote from Chris Cocks during an investor event generating quite a buzz lately: "For DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, we're coming off our best year ever and aiming to capitalize on that momentum in 2021 with new formats and storytelling opportunities in our main campaigns while increasing the cadence of those releases." The "new formats" seems to be referring to the multimedia experience I was talking about above, and I assume "storytelling opportunities" refers to more books and/or boxes in general.
There is nothing official that I can find that remotely mentions or implies that 6E would be coming out. If anything, 6E is just a stupid rumor kept alive by the fears and ignorance of people who do not know any better.
if W0TC chooses to release 5.5 or 6.0 in the future, is there any kind of commitment from Curse to keep my 5.0 purchased rules online and available?
yes, everything you buy is backed by Twitch policy
Marvarax and Sora (Dragonborn) The retired fighter and WIP scholar - Glory
Brythel(Dwarf), The dwarf with a gun - survival at sea
Jaylin(Human), Paladin of Lathander's Ancient ways - The Seven Saints (Azura Claw)
Urselles(Goblin), Cleric of Eldath- The Wizard's challenge
Viclas Tyrin(Half Elf), Student of the Elven arts- Indrafatmoko's Defiance in Phlan
What is this Twitch policy? Is there some place I can read it?
Terms of Sale.
Nowhere in the terms of sale does it guarantee access to your old digital content should a new version come out. It does though clearly state that you acknowledge that the content you buy is ONLY accessible through D&D Beyond and is subject to the whims of their developers. So, any hope that they might liberate purchased content for the users that bought it, should D&D Beyond shutter it's doors is negated by their terms of sale.
I would very much like a clear policy that says "When WoTC releases a new edition of D&D, and the content you purchased will no longer be available for sale to the general public, you will be given the option to download the content in a non DRM format, such as an mht or ePub file or be given a coupon code to get a free download of said content from dndclassics.com"
Indeed, a clear policy about the availability of current products in relation to the announcement of a new edition will be announced when the agreement between WotC and Curse will be settled regarding that new edition.
So, basically, there won't be a policy put in place until a new version comes out and then you'll deal with it?
No, that is not what I said.
I said when the agreement between WotC and Curse will be stipulated about the next edition, then we will know what happens to the availability, through DDB, of 5e products.
It is my opinion that there is no reason to think that we will not have access to 5e products when the eventual 6e will comes out.
That's the problem with DRMed content. You can never be guaranteed you'll always have access to it.
Thanks for the reply.
KInd of settles the matter for me on purchasing decisions.
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D&D Beyond FoundersThere's a much simpler way of looking at it, which is, as long as D&D Beyond continues to exist, it will continue to provide you with any content that you have purchased.
If/when a new edition is released, I don't think it's going to be anywhere near as clear cut as previous editions, because the current game designers have said they want to ensure that any new edition is backwards compatible, so that any current content purchased will still be usable in a newer edition.
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If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
I'd like to know that I will still have access to my content if D&D Beyond doesn't exist at some point in the future.
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D&D Beyond FoundersThere's a long discussion on that somewhere on these forums, but I can't find it currently - the short version of it is:
Will D&D Beyond exist 100 years from now? I have no idea. Personally, I doubt that any current website or internet service will still exist in a recognisable form, as technology will have moved on so much.
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
This thread is over two and a half years old and is far from the last time this topic was discussed. I have to ask, why?
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I think 'Plat wondered why JJ chose this particular thread to bump rather than a more recent one, not why people would want to discuss this topic. ;)
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
The 4th edition content wasn't taken offline instantly; the books are available as PDFs over on the DMs Guild (seriously, the DMG 1 and 2 are a gold mine of resources) and D&D Insider, the digital tool kit with full content access via subscription, was only taken down last January. The reason they had to take it down was that microsoft stopped supporting Silverlight, the platform DDI was built on
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
It would really suck to have this great tool go away
So ...
Fandom can't create a 6e. If you had a stake in Dungeons and Dragons, you should fathom why.
Fandom does many many other products besides D&D Beyond, and experience in product development is one of many desired traits on a corporate board of directors. If you had a stake in Fandom's operations, you'd know that.
I don't think the new Content Director who's arrived in DDB was transferred over from another branch of Frandom (Screen Junkies) was assigned to be the face of "closing down DDB." Sounds like his goal is to put DDB in its best spotlight.
Hasbro, and if your pretending to provide insight into the game biz you should really know why they matter, is very very happy with D&Ds performance, a factor in Wizards being elevated to higher platform within Hasbro's corporate structure. I doubt that will lead to any of its digital licensees getting severed.
I think I feel where you're coming from, but it's just not a reflection of reality. I think rather than posting this, I guess, speculation, if you were truly anxious, you could educate yourself as to how business, and publishing, and entertainment product industries actually work rather than string together a couple of not really well interpreted factoids and fear monger veiled as analysis.
My bottom line, it's a great time to be playing D&D and I like the support DDB's tools provide my gameplay.
Folks think some big release will come in 2024 for the golden anniversary of the D&D brand. Some think that's a 6e, some think it will be consolidation of some of the drift people see between the original 5e core books and the drifts being recognized in Tasha's and furthered through the Gothlines in UA to be finalized in the Ravensloft book into a more coherent ruleset that explains how the systems some see as conflicting can actually be used harmoniously.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Basically this.
People do not have to know how all the details work, but having a basic understanding of how business works is better than posting wild speculation. If people stopped consuming dumb conspiracy theories and use that time to actually educate themselves instead, the whole world would be a better place. Hasbro seems pretty happy with the performance of D&D according to their latest financial reports, so it would be pretty stupid for Hasbro and Wizards to suddenly pull 6E out their ass, risking their bottom line instead of continuing to milk 5E. As far as I know, the main way they want to expand D&D is to expand its multimedia experience, such as through its current development of Baldur's Gate and a new D&D movie they are working on. There is no mention of 6E anywhere. Nada. Zilch.
As for the following quote from Chris Cocks during an investor event generating quite a buzz lately:
"For DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, we're coming off our best year ever and aiming to capitalize on that momentum in 2021 with new formats and storytelling opportunities in our main campaigns while increasing the cadence of those releases."
The "new formats" seems to be referring to the multimedia experience I was talking about above, and I assume "storytelling opportunities" refers to more books and/or boxes in general.
There is nothing official that I can find that remotely mentions or implies that 6E would be coming out. If anything, 6E is just a stupid rumor kept alive by the fears and ignorance of people who do not know any better.
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D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >